Oh, the persistence of you!
by Rosebud on Royal Icing
Summary: The story begins with little Bulla and her first real encounter with the famed Saviour of the Universe; Son Goku. She develops a precocious infatuation with him and it slowly grows into love. GokuBulla. Don't like, don't read. Oneshot.


Oh, the persistence of you!

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It was the day she was born...That was when they had first met each other but of course she had been too young to remember anything. People in her life, those who were present that day, had told her though how they'd met. Her mother had been about to pop her into the world when the angel Whis, Lord Beerus's attendant and master appeared. Her mother had explained that Whis had magical abilities and he used it to retrieve Bulla out of her belly by simply waving his staff at the swollen stomach and muttering some strange incantations. And just like that - WHOOSH - Bulla was born. She had appeared in the air, cleaned and already in diapers, startled to suddenly be removed from the warm cocoon that was her mother's womb. Bulma had been so pleased that there was no blood, no pain and her baby girl was all sparkling clean.

Everyone important in their lives had appeared that day, according to her mom. All their old friends like Yamcha (her mom's ex and friend), Gohan, Goten, all of her family and even the famous Hercule Satan had been present. Everyone wanted to hold her and greet her. Bulla was told that she was a good little baby with few temper tantrums and one with a pleasant demeanour who liked to giggle happily when people held her. The only people she didn't giggle happily with when they held her were Yamcha and Mr Satan...

She had learned that even he had made her giggle happily when he had first held her in his powerful arms. In hindsight, she feels like that was maybe already a sign that she would always like him...Would always hold affection for him...Would always smile or laugh in his presence...Or was that just her reaching for the stars? Perhaps, but she likes to dream...

Goku was his name and even though she met him, she didn't know him as her infant mind was still too young to comprehend anything...She wouldn't see him again for another 5 years in fact.

And so, for the first five years of her life, Bulla grew up never really knowing who Son Goku was despite how her parents and even her brother would talk about him occasionally. She's even heard her mother tell her stories of her childhood with him and all the adventures they had been on when they went searching for the dragon balls. She had listened in awe, completely captivated by these tall tales of fun and excitement and danger. Bulla grew to adore her mother's stories of her experiences and friendship with her friend Son Goku.

Her mother's stories about her adventures with Oolong, Goku, Yamcha and Puar were just one of her favourite things as a five year old little girl. The other things that totally captured her heart were her stuffed toy, Lamby, a small round plush lamb doll - a gift from her brother, her exquisite tea set with the delicate scalloped cups and lovely English rose designs (her mother's gift) and a little Saiyan armour made to fit her tiny body, courtesy of her father (though her mother was the one who actually made it), and of course, her most beloved animated film of all time - Peter Pan.

She watched Peter Pan over and over again, just letting the video play on loop, sometimes for hours on end just because she loved it so, so much. It had the same quality of her mother's childhood tales of adventure, romance, danger and excitement. It truly left her little young heart soaring whenever she watched it.

'Oh, the cleverness of me!' exclaimed Peter Pan in triumph.

'Of course I did nothing,' Wendy said, rather sarcastically but the message was lost on both Peter and the young Bulla, whose cornflower blue eyes were fixed on the screen.

'Oh, you did a little!'

Bulla squealed at Peter's dismissive attitude and she clapped her small little pudgy hands together in her delight.

"Oh, the cweveness of me!" she cried out, clapping her hands still, pleased she could say a difficult, long word like 'cleverness'.

"Hey, baby sis, I wanna play my new video game with Goten right now. Do you mind if big bro uses the TV?" Trunks asked, smiling at his little sister warmly. She blinked up at him from where she sat, her blue eyes taking in her tall brother's appearance along with his equally tall best friend, Goten.

She blushed a little, a bit reluctant to leave Peter Pan half way through...She would like to have finished watching it at least.

"But...Petew Pan's not fwinished yet!" she mumbled, pouting as she frowned at the screen. It was the part where the crocodile had appeared, grinning longingly up at Captain Hook.

"But you've got the whole day to watch Peter Pan...And I only have about an hour after school to play video games before I have to study and then train with Dad...," Trunks tried to explain, gently. "Can't you please take Lamby outside and have a tea party or something?"

Bulla bit her bottom lip, her large baby blues shifted from her brother's handsome face that looked so very desperately at her to the screen. She nodded, teary eyed but her love for her brother outweighed Peter Pan so she gave in with a reluctant heart.

"Awright! Thanks, Bulla!" Trunks crowed out, grabbing her with his hands and twirling her up over his head. She laughed, delighted to be picked up like this by her brother or parents. She loved it almost as much as when they brought her flying.

"Twunks! Pwomise me that you'll play wif my tea set soon though?" she had panted once he placed her on the floor.

"Sure thing, baby sis," Trunks muttered, smirking at her as he curled his pinky round her tiny one. "Pinky promise!"

"Pinky pwomise!" she chirped up, happily, her mouth stretched wide open as she smiled.

"Have fun, little Bulla!" Goten said, smiling down at her, waving at her as she trotted out of the room but she had rushed to the kitchens in her haste and she couldn't be bothered to hear him anymore.

Lamby was in her arms, clutched tightly and she had raced out to her grandmother's beloved rose gardens to play there. Her lovely tea set was carried out to the table one by one; each precious cup, saucer and teapot all by herself. She had decorated the tiny table as well, covering the table with a white lacy cloth and arranging the cups and saucers carefully so that it was all perfect. One of their robot maids had approached her table to deliver the pastries she'd asked from one of their cooks and it all looked absolutely mouth watering. Bulla's baby blues sparkled in wonder as she took in the gorgeously made sugar cookies decorated with tiny pink rose buds, the strawberry shortcake with fresh cream on top, the lovely pastel pink vanilla rose macarons as well as the strawberry chocolate eclairs.

She licked her lips as she took sniffs of the steaming hot strawberry tea that was being poured into her lovely teapot by the robot maid. Everything smelled and looked heavenly and it made her squeal loudly, burying her pudgy face into her soft Lamby's white fluffy body.

Her tea party was going quite splendidly so far but she just wanted the napkins out in case she accidentally made a mess of things. She requested her robot maid for some and just as the maid was taking them out of her compartment, a strong gust of wind blew down on them hard. Bulla had to shut her eyes tightly and she cried out in alarm at the sight of the fluttering cloths that twirled in the air in another direction. Oh, no! Her napkins!

Without much thought, Bulla rushed forward, running as fast as her short stubby little legs could carry her, trying her best to catch at least one napkin. Everything was going so well! She can't have one napkin escape her precious tea party.

Bulla was caught by surprise when her foot kicked against a stone in her path and she screamed as she fell forward. Her soft, plump arms cushioned her face from being too injured but she could help but bite back on the sting that sprouted all over her now scraped arms and cheek.

Tears welled in her eyes at the pain but just as she got up, she realised that Lamby was no longer in her arms. Oh, dear, where could have her beloved Lamby go!? She had hugged him tightly to her chest as she chased after the napkins just now.

Then her cornflower blue eyes glistened with more tears as she caught sight of her Lamby streaming away in a drain. She had accidentally tossed him into the drain when she fell just now and she's let go off him during her stumble.

"Waaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh! Lambyyyyyyyyy!" she screamed out loud, as fresh tears poured out of her eyes. "Lambyyyyy!"

Bulla had fallen to her knees when she tried to run to chase after her soft toy now and that only made her wail even louder. This time she'd scraped her knees and she was bleeding too. The pain combined with her sadness at losing Lamby to the drain made her sob loudly.

A sudden zipping sound appeared from behind and Bulla turned to see what it was, or rather who it was. Her large, glistening blue eyes widened even more as she took in the appearance of a tall man with fair skin and a mop of wild, midnight black hair that stood jutting out in large spikes, all in different directions. His big, innocent, onyx eyes took in her form, widening in return at her bloody knees and the tousled look of her.

"Oh hey, there, little one!" he greeted her, pleasantly, smiling widely at her, those large dark eyes crinkling from the wide stretch of his smile. "Are you okay? It looks like you're bleeding over there?"

Bulla sniffled because again she was reminded of Lamby and how she had probably forever lost him to the drain. The heartache of losing something she so deeply treasured was so awful that she couldn't control the sharp, high pitched cry that burst past her puckered lips.

"Awww, hey, hey! Don't cry, little one! What is it? Is it your knees? Want me to fly you back to your parents and get you all fixed up?" the man asked, concern lacing his tone. He had even crouched low just so he could be on her eye level and a large, calloused hand had reached out to stroke her tiny head gently.

"L-Lambyyyy! Lamby's gwone! I lost Lambyyyyy! Waaaaaaahhh!" she screamed in between sobs.

"Oh, where did you lose him? Let's see if we can get him back, right?" the man said, kindly.

"H-He fwell...in-into...the...the dwain! Waaaaahh!" Bulla sobbed even more.

"That drain over there?" he confirmed with her, a finger pointed in the direction of the drain.

Bulla nodded but she didn't cease sobbing and crying hysterically.

The tall man chuckled at this while he patted her head still. He got up and cracked his knuckles.

"Okay, hold on then, baby girl," he said, grinning down at her as he gave her an 'OK' symbol with his hand. "I'm gonna go bring back Lamby! Just gimme a minute!"

And just like that, he disappeared in a flash, flying off to chase after her plushie that had been dragged away by the rushing stream of the drain.

Bulla simply slump to the ground and cried gently, still very much devastated by the lost of her favourite soft toy.

Not a minute later, the man in orange and dark blue reappeared in front of her and Bulla scuttled backwards in surprise at his seemingly instant movements. He held up her Lamby who was now no longer white and fluffy but limp and dripping with brown coloured water. He smelled so bad that Bulla's nose immediately wrinkled at the whiff she got from him and he was being held at a distance too. Bulla's cornflower blue eyes blinked at the soft toy in his hands and burst into tears anew.

"Waaaaaahhh! Lamby is so smelly and diwty now!" Bulla wailed, fresh new tears pouring out of her eyes. "Nooo...! Not my Lamby!"

The dark haired man panicked and fumbled a bit in his effort to calm her down.

"Hey, hey, hey! Don't cry! Awww, please, baby girl, don't cry now! I've got your Lamby and he can be cleaned up! Don't worry!" he tried to pacify her, holding up his hands in a motion to calm her.

"No, no, no! Lamby's not my Lamby anymore! He's diwty and smelly!" she continued to cry, her chubby hands rubbing at her eyes profusely.

The man sighed after a minute of trying to make her stop crying which was clearly unproductive. He scratched his head as he wondered what to do, the stuffed toy still clutched in one hand. Then his eyes brightened and he bowed his back to lean down and swiftly scoop up the sobbing little girl in his other muscled arm. The child, who was wailing and sobbing still, wasn't quite aware of what had occurred but she didn't seem to protest being in the arms of a relatively unknown person so he figured it wouldn't hurt to do what he planned. He placed two fingers to his forehead and instantly teleported to wherever Bulma Briefs was.

"Heya, Bulma!" he called, cheerily at the blue haired woman before him.

"Jesus Christ, Goku! What the hell do you think you're doing!? I could've fucking had a heart attack just now! How many times do I have to tell you not to use Instant Transmission when you wanna see me, you dumb ass!" she screeched at him, trying to right herself from where she'd fallen over from shock at his sudden appearance.

"Language, Bulma! We don't wanna have her repeating those words now do we?" he chuckled at her, handing out the crying toddler in his hands.

"Oh, oh! Bulla! My baby Bulla!" Bulma cried out in alarm. "What's happened to her!? Is she alright!?"

"She's scrapped her knees but I think she's more upset because this fell into the drain," he explained, holding up the soiled soft toy.

Bulma wrinkled her nose at the smell but she frowned when she realised what it was.

"Well, no wonder! It's her favourite Lamby...," she muttered. A soft gentle hand stroked Bulla's head as she rocked the small child in her arms, trying to soothe her with calming words and soft kisses to her hair.

"Just gimme a minute, okay?" Goku said as he gave small wave. Again, he used Instant Transmission to teleport elsewhere.

"Hey, wa-!" Bulma tried to stop him but it was too late. He was already gone before she could even finish speaking. She grumbled under her breath about him disappearing off to god knows where with her child's favourite toy but Bulma decided to focus on soothing Bulla and tending to her wounds first.

A few moments later, the little girl sat on her dresser with both knee caps covered in her Barbie band aids. She had calmed down and stopped crying but her heart still mourned for her Lamby's fate. She wondered sadly if she had hurt his feelings when she had cried and said that he wasn't hers anymore now that he was smelly and dirty.

"I'm back!" a loud, jovial voice resounded in her mother's room and Bulla's eyes snapped to the sound. It was the same weird man who had fished her Lamby out of the drain!

"Look what I've got for ya, Bulla!" he beamed at her, holding out both arms he shoved a now fresh, snow white Lamby to her face. "It's Lamby again! Of course I had to wash him with liquid detergent and some softner first before I gave him back to you...See, now he's all fresh and clean!"

Bulla gasped as she took in the sight and scent of her Lamby. He was fluffy and white again and goodness, was that rose scent she was smelling? Bulla reached out to take her Lamby with trembling hands, slowly and carefully almost as though she couldn't even believe that this was indeed her beloved toy. Her small heart was pitter pattering against her tiny ribcage so fast that she could feel it inside, could hear it with her superior sense of hearing.

"Lamby!" she squealed loudly when she finally held him in her arms, face buried in his soft fleece. Humming sweetly, she snuggled even deeper into her lamb plushie.

"Oh, he's all cleaned!" Bulma said, smiling as she watched her now extremely pleased daughter.

"Yeah, I did it real quick at home. Gave him a good washing and I flew back here instead of using Instant Transmission to help dry him faster," Goku explained, returning Bulma's smile.

"What do we say to Mommy's good, kind friend, Bulla?" Bulma asked, pinching her daughter's chubby cheek.

"Thank you!" Bulla said, smiling toothily at the tall man. "Thank you so, so, so, so, sooooo very much, Mistew!"

Goku laughed at her, delighted that he'd managed to make her happy again.

"My pleasure, princess!" he replied.

"Hey, my Daddy and my bwother Twunks calls me pwincess!" she mumbled, wide eyed.

"Ahahaha," Goku laughed again, scratching his head, "Well, you are one! Your dad's a prince so of course you're a princess!"

Bulla's eye lids fluttered at him as she took in the man's appearance. He seemed to be a really nice man and her heart thumped faster when she thought about what a hero he had been to her and her Lamby. In her childlike mind, she felt as though this man was one of the nicest people she had ever encountered and his kindness and brave deed, combined with him addressing her as 'princess' signified that he was probably a courageous warrior like her Daddy and big brother - a wonderful, spectacular person who had changed her life forever.

Those large, glittering cornflower baby blues fluttered at Goku shyly and before Goku or Bulma could do anything, Bulla hopped off of the dresser and scuttled over to Goku only to hug one of his muscled legs.

"Thank you...," she mumbled, her voice muffled by the cloth of his pants. "You swaved my Lamby's life...Oh, the cweveness of you!"

Upon hearing those words, Bulma and Goku exchanged looks and both laughed at her. Goku, who was so amused and taken with her adorable behaviour and words, picked her up easily, Lamby and all, and tossed her into the air, catching her swiftly only to do it again. Bulla burst into peels of high pitched giggles every time her small body was caught again by his big hands.

"Oh, Goku! She got that from a cartoon she watches all the time! Peter Pan! She loves it so much, she's memorised nearly all the lines!" Bulma chortled as she took her little girl back into her arms.

"Your little girl's really cute!" Goku complimented, waving at Bulla.

"Wait, wait! Did you just call him Goku!?" Bulla cried out in disbelief, "As in THE Goku!? The one you went twavelling wif all ovew the wowld!?"

"He's the one..." Bulma whispered, a nostalgic expression settled on her now lined face.

"Wow..." Bulla breathed, eyes sparkling at the tall man with wild hair.

"Hi, Bulla! I'm Goku! We've met before but you were thiiiiiis tiny then!" he gestured with his hands her size when she had just been born.

And thus began Bulla's life with Son Goku truly in it. He met her again and touched her heart changing the way she viewed him and from that day on she would forever look forward to settling her eyes on the familiar face that was Son Goku.

He would visit Capsule Corp every other day of the week and always when he visited, his main goal was to train with her father. He always spared time to talk and play with her though and Bulla was even more entranced by his sweet, kind nature.

Aware of Goku's bottomless pit of a stomach, Bulla made sure to always have her tea table set up with all kinds of goodies just so he could gorge himself on them while he waited for her father to make an appearance. Because she was so fond of sweets, her table never lacked cakes, chocolate pastries and other sugary goodness but for Goku and simply because she truly and utterly adored him, she would be sure to have some meat pies for him at the ready, preferably shepherds pie for he loved those and could gulp one whole mountain of them in one second. He practically inhaled all the food that Bulla would set up for him.

"This is my new dwess! Mommy got it for me! See, it's pink and fwuffy with unicowns all ovew it! Isn't it pwetty!?" she would say, twirling around in a frothy pastel pink gown.

"Hahaha! Yeah, it sure is, princess!" Goku would indulge her, ruffling her hair affectionately.

The little girl would blush when he complimented her, twiddling her thumbs and take surreptitious little peaks at him from under her lashes.

She was a mere five year old little girl but to her no other man was more astounding than Goku, no other man more heroic, no other man was more magnificent than he was...Even her father (although possibly stronger than Goku, in her mind at least) couldn't quite defeat the light that had sparked inside of her heart because of Goku. He had quite simply barged into her life, saved her most precious item and engraved himself in her heart and soul. She was besotted...

There were moments when she had managed to sit him down to watch briefly her favourite animated film, Peter Pan. Goku had indulged in her requests because he really didn't mind cartoons at all as they were his favourite forms of entertainment anyway. When he'd finally seen the scene where Peter Pan says the words she had used on him - "Oh the cleverness of me!" - Goku had howled with laughter, tears threatening to fall from his eyes.

"Haha! So that's where you got it from! 'Oh, the cleverness of me!' but you changed it slightly when you said it to me...'Oh, the cleverness of you!'" he chuckled in his mirth.

Bulla blushed at his words but she was happy to know that Goku found amusement in her. It made her feel special, that she could make him laugh...

And so, this routine would repeat itself for several months. He would arrive at Capsule Corp, he would wait for her father by spending time with her, listening to her tall tales, watching Peter Pan with her and humouring her every whim, and in turn she would feed him and twirl in front of him to show off a new dress or a new pair of slippers or some silly doll she'd received. Always, the intent was to impress Goku and how it thrilled her young heart whenever he smiled down at her and showered her with such sweet compliments.

No other adult had paid her quite this much attention.

Her affections for Goku didn't go unnoticed, however, and Bulma caught onto it very early on. She wasn't perturbed by it exactly but a slight niggling feeling had wormed its way to the back of her mind. It was, to put it plainly, quite hilarious to witness first hand her daughter's crush on her best friend whom she had known nearly all her life. A best friend who happened to be closer to her age than her daughter's and one who seemed completely oblivious to said daughter's burgeoning adoration of him. She had, many a times chuckled in silence behind a hand when she caught sight of her pretty little girl rushing up to greet her beloved Goku with wide arms open and peels of giggles when he picked her up and tossed her into the air. That niggling feeling remained though and she wondered why it existed...Surely, nothing could come of a child's precocious crush on a grown man who could have easily been her grandfather?

But Bulma's worries soon melted away when other pressing issues had arisen. Bulla's love for Goku did not fade away, however, instead it steadily grew until a certain point came and she decided these feelings could not be contained anymore.

Bulla waited for the perfect moment to confess her feelings for him, making sure to avoid her parents or her pesky brother's intrusion. She'd lured him with the promise of meat buns and she'd cleverly arranged another garden setup, outside of their house and away from her family.

"Umm, hey, Goku?" Bulla asked, hesitantly. Her tiny fingers were twiddling with each other but the tall Saiyan wasn't aware of that as he continued stuffing his face in with some meat buns.

"Yo, Bulla! 'Sup!?" Goku mumbled, his voice muffled due to his mouth being still full of the buns.

"Uhhh, I was...I-I was w-wondewing..." she stammered, nervously.

"Uh huh?" Goku hummed as he swallowed his food, hands already reaching out for other buns.

"A-Aw you...?" Bulla stuttered.

"Am I what?" Goku said as he bit into the buns he held.

"A-Aw you mawwied!?" Bulla shouted, eyes shut tight in her embarrassment. Her little girl's heart was thumping furiously inside her small rib cage as she prayed for him to tell her a solid, resounding 'no'. What she heard instead broke her heart into pieces.

"Huh? Married? Hahaha, yeah! I am married actually...," Goku chuckled lightly.

"Wh-What!?" Bulla cried out in heartbreak. Her blue eyes were the size of saucers now and already she could feel the sting of bitterness and heartache creep up behind her eye sockets. "Y-You're mawwied?!"

"Well, yeah...," Goku muttered, scratching the back of his head in that nervous habit he always did when things didn't seem quite so right. Her tone and expression told him it was heading in that direction even though the rest of his brain didn't really understand what exactly was going on. "I am married, Bulla...Goten is my son after all...And Gohan, Goten's older brother is my firstborn kid. Me and Chichi have been married since I was eighteen..."

Bulla bit back a sob as her heart plummeted into the pit of her stomach and tears welled in her eyes. Oh, the devastation...This was worst than Lamby's fall into the drain...

"Awww, hey, baby girl, what's wrong?" Goku asked in worried tones when he saw a tear slid past her cheek. The older Saiyan quickly rushed to the girl and crouched down so he was closer to her eye level. Immediately, those big, warm hands reached out to hold her but Bulla shook her head in denial and stepped back. "What is it, Bulla? C'mon, tell me?"

With quivering lips, Bulla debated on whether to tell him the truth or not but she had always been a most straightforward child and both her mother and father had encouraged her honesty so why stop now? She couldn't lie to Goku anyway...Not Goku...Not the one she loved the most.

"I-I...I w-was h-h-hoping...," she sobbed through fresh tears that were streaming down her chubby cheeks, "I was hoping you'd mawwy me one day when I gwew up!"

Large, innocent charcoal eyes widened in realisation upon hearing that confession and the once oblivious Goku suddenly understood why Bulla was so upset. He was a unique individual who didn't quite have a grasp on romantic love and all of the complicated aspects that came attached to it but he had lived a long life and in his experience with matters of the heart, he knew enough that his status as a married man would have upset her. It would have been the same basically, if all those years ago when he was still an unmarried youth, Chichi had demanded that he marry her only for him to tell her he already was promised to someone else...

But he hadn't been with anyone else then...And his sense of honour had compelled him to fulfil his impulsive, child-like (and-shouldn't-have-been-held-accountable for) promise of marriage to the Ox Princess. And just like that, Son Goku wedded Chichi and they became a family.

Was he in love with her? With the depth and devotion he had heard of from those sappy love songs or seen portrayed in romantic films? Well...no, not exactly...

Did he love and care for her though? Yes, that one he could admit freely.

Goku's scrambled thoughts took a back seat though when the young, cerulean haired child sobbed brokenly into her hands in front of him and all thoughts of his understanding of love fled. His large hands encircled her tiny frame and he pulled her to him gently. This time, Bulla allowed him to put his hands on her without resisting. Hugging her close to him and stroking her back gently, Goku tried to soothe her with gentle words of comfort.

"Aww, hey now, princess...Don't cry! I've got you, baby girl...," Goku mumbled softly, one hand patting her head. "I'll still be your friend..."

Bulla was sobbing still but she hiccuped when she heard his words.

"I don't want you to be my fwend...I want you to be my husbawnd..." she stuttered in between sobs.

"Awww, princess, you know I can't do that...I'm already married now...," Goku said but his hands never stopped stroking her and his tone never stopped being soft and soothing.

"It's not faiw! I wanted to mawwy you...! I wish, wish, wish, wish we could be togethew!" the blue haired child cried in her beloved's arms. "I..I love you so much, Goku!"

Goku's heart skipped when he heard her true confession and a small smile tugged at his lips. Somehow, it warmed his heart when he heard her say those words.

"Heh...Thank you, Bulla...," Goku muttered, leaning in until his forehead touched hers. "I may not be able to marry you but somehow...I'm happy to hear you say that..."

Bulla sniffed, brushing her tears away.

"Can you make a pwomise with me?" she asked, eyes suddenly blazing with newfound determination.

"Anything, Bulla!" Goku smiled at her.

"Pwomise me...," she hesitated, licked her lips and then ploughed on, "Pwomise me you'll mawwy me if evew you can! If thewe's any chance...any chance at all, you have to mawwy me, okay!?"

Those large onyx eyes widened once more at the words that had spilled forth of her pouty rose bud lips...Tossing his head back in amusement, Goku laughed out loud, great belly aching laughs that shook his entire frame.

Bulla wasn't amused, however, and she basically sat there in his arms fuming with rage as he laughed at her outrageous request.

"Aw you quite done?" she demanded, her tiny hands curled into fists.

"Ahaha...Yeah, man, you're cute!" Goku laughed softly as he wiped a tear away.

"Do we have a deal!?" Bulla demanded, holding out her pinky. Those blue eyes shone with that same look of resolution and a newfound respect for the little girl blossomed in Goku's heart. His shapely lips stretched broadly into his signature beaming smile and he too held out his pinky to her. A curling of pinkies and it was done.

"Sure, princess...I promise..."

* * *

A year passes by and on a seemingly ordinary day, Bulla accidentally wrecks her mother's air car while slamming the door. Bulla had let out a startled gasp after a second of realising the damage she'd caused then a deep crimson stained her face as she hung her head, mortified at being so savage. Vegeta, Bulma and Trunks had stared, gobsmacked for a moment at the ruined car door hanging carelessly by the hinges. It took them a moment to break out of their stupor, but Vegeta was the first one to toss his head back and bark with laughter. Trunks and Bulma had turned to him, bewildered with his apparent glee.

"Looks like we'll have to welcome another one in the gravity room, boy," he tossed an arrogant smirk at Trunks.

Clear, icy blue eyes grew large at the patriarch of the household and Trunks turned back to a blushing Bulla.

"Bulla...training with us?" Trunks mumbled in disbelief but when he watched Bulla's eyes sparkle at the idea, he smiled at her. "Yeah, well, why not, huh? Welcome to the training gang, baby sis!"

Bulla yelped happily, hopping onto her brother's arms with joy, giggling loudly when he caught her with ease and lifted her high up.

Bulma, however, wasn't as accepting to the notion of her baby girl training with her insanely strong husband and son. She feared for her daughter's safety and she was only six years old after all...That was still a baby by Bulma's standards and her expression turned serious immediately as she studied her giggling little girl. Her brows furrowed and her lips pulled to a straight line, a scowl already forming.

"Relax, woman," Vegeta said under his breath, one hand curved about her elbow. "I'm not going to Final Flash our daughter out of existence if you're worried..."

"It's easy for you to say, Vegeta...," Bulma hissed lowly. "And I'm not worried about you killing her but she's only six! She's still just a baby and you have a...tendency of taking things way too seriously, Vegeta...I bite my tongue a lot with how you train Trunks because he is our son...But Bulla's a girl and she's different from you and our boy!"

A low, sensual chuckle reached her ear and Bulma felt her cheeks warmed at the touch of his lips on the shell of her ear.

"Don't worry, woman...Bulla may be young but by Saiyan standards her education on martial combat is actually severely late...Saiyans teach their children to fight regardless of sex from the moment they are able to walk," he elaborated, "You say you've bit your tongue on how I train Trunks but I've bit my tongue on how Bulla's been raised...Her immense strength proves that she must be trained so that she can control that monstrous Saiyan strength and not accidentally kill someone..."

Bulma sighed a bit in reluctance and a bit in a budding arousal. Vegeta always knew how to set her blood simmer in a rush of sensuality.

"Fine, Vegeta...You can train her but I'm coming in for observation as well," she said with finality.

Vegeta snorted but he merely rolled his eyes and refused to engage in argument with her. It would be pointless, he knew, since the fact that she agreed to allow Bulla be trained in the first place was already a feat on its own.

Bulla ran up to her mother, hugging her leg tightly. Bulma peered down at her daughter and her heart melted at the sight. Really, it was impossible to deny her daughter anything when she looked up with those dazzling cornflower baby blues and that sweet bright smile.

"Mommy, I'm gonna twain with Daddy and Twunks soon!" she chirped up at her mother.

"Yes, I heard," Bulma smiled, indulgently. She bent and picked up her little girl and hugged her to her chest.

"Don't go leaving Mommy behind now when you do all that hardcore training, you hear me? I'm still your mother and you're still my baby girl...So we still have to do girly things together okay?" she warned the small child in her arms.

"Pinky pwomise!" her daughter cried in a toothy grin.

"Pinky promise..."

* * *

Training life for Bulla proved to be very hard but rewarding at the same time. She could see almost immediately what her strengths and weaknesses were but while she had a natural talent at enhancing her strengths, improving her weaknesses proved to be very difficult. With training she learned how to keep her strength in check as well as how to defend herself. That, and also the fact that Goku would sometimes join in as well was the icing on her cake.

"You're fast, girl," her father had told her time and time again, "Very fast. Use that speed to your advantage. Always take the opportunity at any openings and spring in immediately for an attack. You hesitate too much."

"What's hesitwate?" she'd asked, frowning her brows in frustration.

"You guess too much...Think too much. Don't be afraid, Bulla. You're stronger than you think," her father stated, confidently.

Trunks exchanged looks with their father and nodded, then turned his gaze to his younger sibling.

"I'm gonna do the exact same move as I did just now, okay, Bulla and you will attack me again but this time, make sure you hit the target," Trunks instructed, crouching again and bringing both hands up in an attacking position.

She too got in position, staring off with her brother who traded her a menacing death glare.

Suddenly, both combatants had moved with lightning speed, rushing in at one another so fast that a normal person would've struggled to keep up but Vegeta watched them carefully with pride blooming in his chest.

Bulla managed to land a punch on Trunks' left breast and Trunks managed to reign in on his attack and not go all out lest he destroyed the entire Capsule Corp.

Both siblings panted heavily when they turned to look at one another.

"Well done, Bulla!" Trunks grinned at her.

"I did good!?" she asked, breathlessly.

"Very good!" Trunks said, beaming.

She swiftly turned to look at her father for approval and the proud smirk told her he was pleased.

"Mr Vegeta, Mr Trunks and Miss Bulla? Your friend Mr Son is here," a female voice crackled out of the intercom of their training room.

"Goku!?" Bulla piped up.

She was practically bouncing up and down at her spot and the sheer excitement she was feeling was clearly felt in the whole room. Trunks had a knowing smirk and Vegeta was scowling in annoyance.

By this time, nearly everyone in their household was aware of Bulla's obvious crush on the saviour of the universe but Vegeta had refused to acknowledge it. He had stormed out of the house when Bulma and Trunks first discussed this and as he marched outside, Vegeta threw anything his hands could get a hold of and threw them against the wall. Bulma and Trunks had laughed themselves silly when they'd witnessed his open fury at the notion of Bulla crushing on his most hated rival but they had refrained from talking about this crush of hers in front of Vegeta from that day on.

"Heya, Geets!" Goku greeted, cheerily, causally waving a hand at his rival. "Trunks! Bulla..."

"Gokuuuuuuu!" Bulla shrieked as she rushed straight into his arms.

"Hey, there, princess!" the older Saiyan said, chuckling as he picked her up.

"We wewe twaining just now, Goku! I leawned how to hit Twunks on his chest!" she launched into her little retelling of the events. Her eyes sparkled with a joy that made Vegeta seethe in anger and deep rooted jealousy at the idea that Kakarot had won the affections of his daughter. It was a bitter pill to swallow and he secretly prayed to god that one day she would outgrow her silly crush on the stupid man.

"Really now? That's great!" Goku exclaimed.

"Yeah!? Wanna see? Twunks, can we show 'im!?" Bulla cried out.

"Sure," Trunks replied, giving her a nod and a smirk.

Goku stood to the side after he placed her back down on her feet and watched carefully the display of martial art moves the two siblings were about to get into. Vegeta stood a little further behind him but they were still quite close in proximity.

A blink and an ordinary person would've missed the attacks traded by both Briefs and Goku's large, innocent eyes had widened in astonishment at Bulla's speed and the move she'd pulled. He could tell that she was holding back her strength when her tiny fist connected against Trunks 's chest and he knew also that Trunks himself was holding back possible 87% of his strength against his little sister but still, to be able to hit her brother in that move and that speed at the mere age of six was still highly impressive by Goku's books. He immediately beamed at the panting little girl who had turned to catch his eye.

"That was amazing, Bulla!" Goku cheered. "You're really fast!"

"You think so!? Really, really!?" she chirped as she traipsed to him in girlish excitement.

"Really, really!" Goku laughed.

"Hey, I know! How about you twain with me fow a bit!?" Bulla asked, innocently. "We could do that same move just now!"

Goku blinked at her and then he turned to Vegeta and Trunks for approval. He wouldn't mind seeing her astonishing speed firsthand anyway. It would be interesting to gage her potential with his own personal experience.

"Fine! But hurt her and I'll tear off a limb, ya hear me, Kakarot!?" Vegeta demanded.

"Loud and clear, Geets!" Goku smirked back.

Crouching down to his signature attacking pose, Goku stared at Bulla with his warrior's gaze and Bulla too, glared back at him as she got into position. Trunks stood by his father's side to watch carefully as well because training with Goku was indeed a rare occasion for him since when the two full blooded Saiyans got together they always preferred solitary training over a group one.

Trunks wasn't exactly a 'training-battle-increase-strength-junkie' like both of the Saiyan patriarchs but he still enjoyed the occasional sparring and still appreciated martial arts for its beauty and the pure adrenaline rush it could inspire in a practitioner.

Goku and Bulla traded attacks within a blink of an eye and Trunks grinned broadly at how Bulla managed to smack Goku in his chest. Vegeta stood beside him smirking with pride.

Goku laughed and Bulla joined in with her giggles.

"You're really something, princess!" he chuckled.

"You mean it?"

"Yeah, of course I do!"

This soon became an intermittent practice for them at the brief household. Goku would, from time to time, drop by to train with the Briefs family. He mostly made Vegeta his main training partner and it was clear to both Briefs siblings that their father was his main target but the gentle Saiyan always made time to spar or teach Bulla a bit too.

To Bulla, this was the ultimate peak of euphoria having to learn from the great Son Goku himself and to Vegeta, it was a nuisance having to witness his daughter's growing obsession with his eternal rival.

Sometimes, Goku would visit alone, others he'd come with his son Goten and other times he even brought his disciple, Uub along.

For the young, completely in love Bulla, she knew earlier on what a training obsessed freak Goku was and she saw training as a ticket to bond with him further and possibly (hopefully) be a married couple that would train together. It became a part of her daily daydreams...Of a blissfully married life with Goku where they could grow even deeper in love from training with each other...Was it a silly, young girl's dream? Yes. But did it make her happy? Absolutely. So she continued her training even when he didn't visit.

More years pass by and she reaches the tender age of eleven and a certain pride is lit in her when the day she turned Super arrived. She had been training with her brother and father once more and they had been pushing her (her father especially), urging her to get up, to hit harder, to kick faster, to move quicker - just pushing, pushing, pushing. This sort of routine had gone on for a month or so. Her father was relentless at pushing her. He didn't hit her harder but he didn't hold back his speed and his words rained on her like bullets.

"Get up, child! Attack me again! That was a weak kick...Get it right this time!" he would bark at her.

"Remember, child, you are a Saiyan with royal blood in you! Get up and prove your mettle!"

"What's wrong with you, girl!? Pick up your feet! Don't just lay there and allow yourself to be killed! Do you want to be killed, Bulla!?"

"Kick harder! Punch faster! Attack me like you mean it, Bulla!"

Bulla was angry, so frustrated, just so incredibly full of rage that she screamed to the heavens in her resentment and just like that she transformed! The air crackled about her, whipping her cerulean locks about her face and neck and she felt something within her snap like she just couldn't care anymore and allowed the Saiyan within her to relish in the sudden ravenous hunger she had for sheer brutality.

She had gone all out attacking her father and brother in her Super Saiyan state and they still outdid her in their base forms but her heart thumped when she saw the brimming pride and love they had for her in their eyes.

"Well done," her father had stated simply after she'd risen from her unconsciousness.

Somehow, during the fight, she had been knocked out. Bulla couldn't remember exactly how that happened but she had lost consciousness and only now was she getting up.

Big, round, cornflower blue eyes grew wide with wonder and awe at her father's words...Did he just complimented her!? He did! Her ears couldn't have deceived her!

"Dad..." she breathed out.

Vegeta remained silent, his back was to her as he exited the training room but Bulla's lips cracked into a small smile.

She had earned a compliment from her father! Finally! After all these years! Her brother had warned her of how hard it was for their father to express his emotions much less showering people with compliments. He had even relayed to her how long it had been for him to hear words of approval from their dad.

Trunks rarely got to train with them anymore though because he was already in college and was always busy studying. He had dreams of his own; to take his place in the company and work alongside his mother. Whenever there was a semester break, he would come home then and put aside some time to train with Bulla and their father but it wasn't the same because his heart wasn't quite as much into it as before he went off.

Bulla was incredibly proud to have achieved Super Saiyan at just eleven years old though. She couldn't wait to show it off to Goku and see those large dark eyes she loved so much widen at her transformed state. Oh, how she longed to seek his approval.

By this age though, Bulla had learned to keep her feelings for the older Saiyan a secret from the adults of her household. No longer did she come rushing out to launch herself into Goku's arms like an enthusiastic torpedo nor did she stare at him with open wonderment and awe. Her heart still thumped rapidly and loudly for him but she controlled her features when she was in front of others. She didn't want her family to know that she still continued to harbour feelings for him, especially her father, knowing how much he despised his rival (Bulla always secretly thought there was a part of her father that did like Goku but his pride would probably never allow him to admit it).

Goku arrived one day to train with Vegeta and her but just as usual, her father had taken his time to get prepared and Bulla was left alone with Goku in the gravity room.

Cornflower blue eyes studied his muscular form with hidden appreciation before she smirked at him arrogantly, an expression that was the mirror image of her father. Just seeing her wear his face like that was enough to make Goku chuckle at her, his hand scratching the back of his head in that awkward gesture he always did.

"Heya, Bulla," he greeted, cheerily.

"Wanna see something cool?" Bulla asked, casually, arms folding over her chest.

"Sure."

Bulla's eyes snapped back cautious to the door of the training room before she looked back at the older Saiyan before her.

"Check it!" she shouted, before crouching down a bit, hands curled into fists by her sides as she screamed out loud. All of her ki was being called forth and her energy levels skyrocketed, going to such excessively high levels that even Goku was stunned.

The aura that surrounded her crackled and fizzled, snapping her hair up. In flickering moments, he could see the cerulean locks turn a shade of gold and his heart started beating in excitement. Could it be that she had finally achieved Super?

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!" Bulla screamed, a vein popping up in her forehead as her mind went back to the moments when Vegeta had continued to berate her, pushing her to the extreme.

A surge of power erupted from like a shockwave travelling through the chamber and Goku's body shook slightly when it hit him.

There she stood in all of her Super Saiyan glory. A tiny, dainty little Super Saiyan princess with brilliant gold hair that defied gravity in voluminous spikes.

"Haha!" Goku laughed, completely impressed. "Why, Bulla...You're a Super Saiyan!"

"Yes, I am!" she crowed, triumphantly.

Hands on her hips, with her head tilted slightly, with that all-too-confident expression on her face, she looked every bit the proud warrior princess.

"You're amazing!" Goku exclaimed.

Her cheeks pinked at those words but her expression remained.

"Of course I am!"

That day, she thinks that she has gotten a step closer to achieving her dream of becoming his wife. That day, she believes that Goku was so blown away by her that he would always appreciate the idea of a Super Saiyan as a wife. Little did she know that the road to achieving such a difficult dream...Such a perilous and nearly impossible goal was going to be a hard earned journey and that nothing so good as marrying the love of your life would be as 'easy' as turning Super Saiyan...And turning Super wasn't easy at all...

* * *

A year passes and the Briefs family is invited to the Sons' house for a small celebration. Several of their other friends were also invited and more familiar faces are seen. Bulla is intrigued and excited to finally see Son Chichi, her secret rival in action and in her own environment; their house!

She has met Chichi before and although she wasn't proud enough to say that the woman wasn't the least bit attractive she had to wonder what Goku saw in a woman who was constantly anal. God, she was such a loud nagger that even Bulla felt her ears hurting just from her loud, screechy voice. Bulla remembered an incident where she had chased Goku around their house and Bulma, Trunks and Goten had laughed at them but Bulla and her father had rolled their eyes in disdain at the display. Vegeta had scoffed because he considered Goku's clownish acts to be the height of idiocy but Bulla had scoffed because she was never more disgusted at the way Chichi treated her husband.

Sure, the older woman did have a sort of grace (when she wasn't a loud shrieking banshee) and beauty (she wasn't exactly drop dead gorgeous like Bulma, her mom was, but she was pretty enough) but Bulla couldn't see any other attractive qualities. Did Goku enjoy having someone yell at him all day long? Hmmm, perhaps she ought to learn to be a nagger too?

Chichi was also older and she looked it too - the fine lines etched across her face like most women in their sixties had. But Goku looked like he was still in his early thirties...But that was all thanks to his genetics of being a Saiyan. Bulla knew quite clearly how old he was too and she now understood how many people would disapprove of their large age gap should a relationship between them occur but she couldn't help her feelings. Love is love, right? There's no stopping your feelings...

It was a fine day. Bright and sunny, the sky above looked so blue and a light breeze was blowing ever so gently. Their family had taken one of the jets to fly them all over here and they were all wearing their best clothes.

Bulla's eyes drank in the sight that Mount Paozu had to offer. The mountainside was filled to the brim with lush green trees that made a beautiful forest, the air a cool crisp freshness that she had never felt before back in the city and the sounds of the trees rustling were quite intriguing.

"Come, come. Sit down and eat! Don't be shy, guys! We're all family here!" Chichi called out to them, waving them to the many tables that had been set up outside of their little house.

Bulla and the rest made their way to the table and as she approached it, the delightful scents of delicious food floated up to her nostrils and immediately engulfed her with its mouthwatering smell. Goodness, what was that!? She nearly did a double take at the scent but she stood firm and strode to her seat, determined not to be defeated by a mere smell.

Her baby blues drank the sight of the incredibly outrageously laden table with a feast fit to serve fifty kings! Chichi had cooked them a meal worthy for all of the Gods of Destruction and their angels combined! Bulla nearly sighed and drooled at the exceedingly succulent looking food that had been prepared. On one of the table, she spied a large roasted wild boar with stuffings inside, then there was an enormous bowl of Chinese fried rice, at least six whole roasted chicken, a side of mashed potatoes, a huge container of spaghetti and meatballs, beef Szechuan, breaded pork cutlets, steamed sea bass and many more. The list seemed endless and just as one bowl of fried rice disappeared another huge bowl made its way to the table.

Bulla watched with a sinking feeling as the object of her love stuffed his face with such enthusiasm. The only time she had witnessed that much vigour from Goku was when he was training.

"Mwor pwiff!" he barked, his hand already extended, an empty bowl in it.

Chichi filled it up expertly and Bulla watched with a deep sadness as Goku wolfed it all down once again. The man was eating so happily and with such love that the girl of twelve couldn't help but feel defeated. Her blue gaze fell upon her rival and she felt even more insecure as she watched the older woman smile proudly at her husband who was practically inhaling her food like a vacuum.

"Don't you want that, Bulla!?" Trunks asked, as he eyed her plate hungrily.

"Uhhh, no. You go ahead and have that," Bulla said but upon hearing Goku sing Chichi's praises, her hand stilled on her plate.

"On second thought, I think I will eat it," she muttered, grabbing a piece of the wild boar meat and popping it into her mouth.

There had been a burst of flavours and it was all Bulla could do not to moan in bliss at the extremely well seasoned meat. The texture, the flavour, the seasoning, the sauce and the stuffing...Oh, dear lord the stuffing! Bulla wanted to explode in tears of joy and devastation all at once. There was no doubt about it...Chichi was an amazing cook! Spectacular even! No wonder everyone wouldn't stop harping about this woman's cooking.

This was it then...The answer to the question that had plagued her for some time...What else did Goku see in Chichi?

This was it...Her impossibly magnificent cooking skills.

Never before had Bulla felt such overwhelming defeat. The feeling left a bitter taste in her mouth and a heavy feeling in her heart...But she wouldn't allow Chichi to make her feel inadequate for long! Oh, no! Not this princess! This princess was a Super Saiyan and if there was anything her father had drilled into her during her training and her mother had instilled in her during every other moment in her life was to never give up! Never allow your enemies to see how vulnerable you are! Never just simply hand them over the winning hand! You must seize victory with hands and teeth if you need to!

She glared silently at a smiling Chichi who was placing more generous scoops of mashed potatoes onto her husband's plate, a burning desire to defeat her rival formed. She would not simply roll over and allow Chichi to be the best cook in the whole world...Bulla would be the next best cook, just you wait and see! She will learn to be so good at cooking, that people would surely go into hysterics when they take a bite of her food!

Her eyes shifted to the man of her dreams and the fire inside her breast burned brighter.

A few days after that, Bulla demands to be enrolled in a cooking school where students study to become the top chefs of the world. Bulla is determined to be a great cook, one that perhaps some day could cook worthy meals for her beloved Goku.

"Why do you need to go to France to learn how to cook well?" Vegeta demanded, glowering at her as he slammed the pamphlets of the top notch cooking schools she had handed to her parents.

"Your father's right! And why a school? Can't you just take some cooking lessons after school hours and still go to your current school?" Bulma asked, frowning a little.

"No! I want to learn how to be the best at cooking! I want to be able to cook for the people I love and myself...! Please mom and dad! It's not like I won't be seeing you guys anyway! I can circle the globe in 2 minutes tops if I wanted to, so it's not like I will be living there and not see you guys in months!" Bulla explained, the determination never faltering.

Bulma and Vegeta exchanged looks. Then Bulma sighed deeply.

"These schools are expensive...Even if we are literally the richest family in the whole world, I am not on board with enrolling you in an expensive cooking school only for you to drop out three months later...," Bulma said, sternly. "Money doesn't grow on trees and I don't like it when I lose money for no good reason."

Bulla nodded and met her mother's piercing gaze without flinching. She squared her shoulders and stared ahead; blue eyes clashed with blue.

"I understand, mother...I won't let you down! I won't drop out! I will see this through!" Bulla exclaimed.

Vegeta turned to Bulma and he nodded his consent. Bulla squealed excitedly and rushed to her father's side, embracing him tightly in her delight.

"Brat, you better not disappoint your mother!" Vegeta grumbled as he stared down at her head.

"I won't! Oh, thank you, dad! Thank you, mom! You won't regret it!" Bulla cried out.

After hugging her mother tightly as well, she scampered out of their room in excitement, rushing off to apply to all of the schools she was interested in. Both her parents had wondered what had suddenly brought on this intense need to learn how to cook but they had let it slide. Bulma reasoned with Vegeta that if their daughter was in one of her "moods" then it was probably best to allow her to do what needs to be done. After all, it wasn't like she was asking them for money to do inappropriate stupid things like go out partying or drinking or drugs. Vegeta reluctantly agreed. He knew his daughter well. It was the same as when she was training with him or Trunks. The minute the princess had set her mind to something then it was best to encourage her to go for it. It always turned out beneficial for both parties.

In a month or so, Bulla flew off to her first day in cooking school. She didn't use an air car, merely flew there herself taking only about 5 minutes to arrive.

Thus, began her life in cooking school.

Her first day in the school was enough to tell her that this would indeed be one of the most difficult hurdles she had to overcome in life. Cooking was regarded as an art form here and nearly everyone who attended the prestigious institution had a great dream of excelling in the culinary world. They all had big dreams of opening up a restaurant or a patisserie that would win multiple Michelin stars, be regarded as the world's best cuisine and respected amongst all other great chefs.

Bulla quickly learned that her reason to be there was regarded as shallow and not nearly as ambitious. In the hellish heat of the kitchen, people were expected to have tall dreams of grandeur and so her simple "I just want to learn how to cook and be the best at it" seemed out of place. Nevertheless, Bulla didn't allow anyone to get in her way of learning the skills needed to make her an incredibly skilled cook. She would stay up late at night, perfecting a recipe, going over the preparations over and over again, trying her very best to make the food as delicious as she could possibly make it. She chased after seniors just so she could watch and learn from them their insane techniques and attention to detail. Her professors there grew fond of her burning passion to thrive and her peers soon quickly realised what a formidable cook she could truly be.

Always, her true goal never wavered though and that was to make Goku, the object of her love, acknowledge what a great cook she was. She would make him recognise her as the best and not even Chichi could defeat.

Bulla held no illusions of becoming Goku's wife anymore now that she was already thirteen and fast growing more mature and intelligent. She understood that the dreams she had of Goku falling madly in love with her were nothing more than a silly little girl's childhood dream but she thought, sadly, if she couldn't win Goku's heart then at least she could win his stomach. It was the only thing that made her life less filled with melancholy.

* * *

Every time she returned home from school, Bulla always cooked in her own kitchen to perfect her skill. She would cook everything new that she had recently learned and apply it as best to her ability as possible.

Capsule Corp still had their hired chefs but Bulla insisted on practicing at home too. Their main chef, Monsieur Gaston had laughed when she fed him a pasta dish she made - seafood aglio olio - and proclaimed that if that had been made by her then he would have to quit his job and hand over his chef attire to her. Bulla laughed too but insisted he stayed and if he didn't mind, to allow her to observe and assist him whenever she wanted. A mutual agreement was settled and so Bulla would cook up some of her best dishes and serve it to her family.

Bulma and Vegeta were both extremely pleased with her progress as a culinary student. She was clearly very determined to be a success and Bulma was satisfied that placing her in the cooking school wasn't a waste of money.

The Briefs family showered Bulla with genuine compliments at every dish she made for them and while she was grateful for their sweet words, no other words tasted so sweet and affected her so deeply as Goku's.

The older Saiyan would still visit her home occasionally to train and spar with her father or brother. She would also sometimes get to train with him as well but it was not quite as frequent as before she went to a demanding school.

Bulla still remembered the day she made him roasted wild boar with stuffing and Chinese fried rice and served that to him. She had hoped and prayed it was as good as Chichi's if not better. It was the very first dish she made herself that she served to Goku.

"It's delicious, Bulla," Goku beamed at her, hand already handing out his empty bowl back to her for seconds. "Really tasty! I love it!"

Bulla couldn't help but beam back at him, a fluttering in her chest consumed her entire figure and suddenly her palms were sweaty and she felt a difficulty to breathe properly.

"You really think so, Goku?" she asked, excitement laced her voice. "Is it the best you've ever had?"

Goku was already stuffing his face in with his second helping of fried rice. He heard her clearly though.

"Weyf, ish wotsh zhe beishf..." he tried to say but with his mouth so full of food, Bulla could barely make out what he was trying to say.

Goku chewed hurriedly and swallowed his food. He turned those dark, large eyes on her and he smiles gently.

"I was trying to say...It's not the best I've ever had but it's really close...," Goku said, smiling brightly at her.

Bulla felt her heart sank a little and she didn't know which hurt her more; his honest words or the brightness of his smile...Maybe it was both? She loved all aspects of Goku including his child-like honesty and sunny demeanour but when said honesty was directed at her - and mind, it's not completely positive - well, then it was a different story. Bulla still loved him and perhaps loved him more for she treasured his comments towards her even if they were a form of criticism but this time it hurt a little bit more than usual, perhaps because it actually was his way of saying 'Yours is good Bulla but Chichi's is the best.'

Bulla can't help that sense of jealousy creeping up inside her again at the thought of the Son woman who was rightfully his wife. Her mind scolded her for daydreaming about Goku telling her she was the best at cooking but her heart, despite being a little bruised then, told her not to give up. To stand firm and continue to work on making this dish the very best, the greatest he had ever tasted in all his years!

Bulla didn't even realise she was frowning until Goku said it to her.

"Heh! Sorry, princess!" Goku mumbled, scratching the back of his head anxiously. "You asked me what I thought and that was my honest answer...I know sometimes people don't like to hear that...Your mom's told me many times I need to learn manners! Haha...!"

Bulla's frown deepened but she shook her head.

"No, Goku," she told him, softly. "Don't apologise. I value your thoughts greatly! I appreciate your compliments just as much as your criticism."

"Really? That's great then!" Goku grinned at her.

Bulla's frown melted away at the sight of that smile and her own cocky smirk spread about her face. She folded her hands across her chest, rocking back on her heels slightly.

"Just you wait though, old man! I'm gonna make you the best roasted wild boar with stuffing and fried rice you've ever had in your life and I'll make you admit it too!" Bulla exclaimed, confidently. Her blue eyes had that same determined fire lit within them and it made Goku unable to resist returning her nearly arrogant smirk.

"I'll look forward to seeing you do that then..." he drawled out.

"I'll make you say 'Oh, the greatness of you!', you'll see!"

"Haha! As I said...I'm looking forward to seeing you do that!"

It had been very similar to their playful bantering during sparring or training.

Both stood and stared into each others eyes. She, standing straight with her confidence and youth brimming through, her feet on the cold tiled floor of the kitchen. He, sitting down, legs slightly apart on the small kitchen stool, wild hair still jutting out in spikes everywhere, a small bead of sweat trickled down his temple, to his jaw and down that muscled neck.

Bulla watches it travel over slightly tanned skin with a fixation unlike anything she had experienced before.

It was in moments like these that Goku stole her breath away and left her mind muddled and hazy; completely under his spell.

* * *

Days melted into weeks and weeks melted into months and soon another spring was gone, another summer, another winter. Bulla was already fourteen years old. A proper teenager now with a sudden awareness of her own growing body and mind.

She wasn't exactly a woman yet but neither was she a child anymore.

It's obvious from the way her body has matured slightly; the painful throbs and tingling in her budding breasts; a sign of them growing in size, her first cycles of menstruation (and all the horrors that came with it), her first pimples on her usually smooth, clear skin. Her hips were growing wider, her thighs slightly thicker. She was still daintily built but her own eyes weren't the only ones who noticed her growth and beauty.

One day when she had exited a patisserie near her cooking school, a group of boys who lingered outside across the road had turned to look at her in a way that made her a little more than just merely uncomfortable. Her blue eyes turned to look behind her, wondering if they were checking out some other girl but she saw no one and her eyes widened, cheeks flamed as the realisation that that they had been staring at her settled in.

"Hey, there, pretty girl," one boy called out to her, grinning mischievously. "Wanna come hang out with us? We can show you around the city, eat some good food? What do you say?"

"Yeah, come on, baby. We won't bite...much..."

The rest of them hollered and howled but their eyes never really left hers, or more specifically her body and Bulla suddenly felt really out of her depth. She had never been the subject of cat calls before, never been the victims of inappropriate leers and objectification. Always, boys she knew had only ever treated her with either respect and admiration or awkward shyness. She occasionally had some of the more friendly ones but nothing like this...They were never friendly with her in this way, with their eyes glued to her bare legs in her short school uniform skirt.

Bulla blinked at them, uncertain about what course of action should she take. A part of her wants to yell at them but another part of her tells her it's probably better to ignore them and just leave.

She was just about to decide when a dollop of thick whipped cream dripped onto her shoe. The chocolate eclair in her hand was squeezed a little too tightly in her hand as she had been far too preoccupied with the issue at hand.

The boys who noticed howled even louder, amused at the mess she'd made.

Scowling at them fiercely, she turned to reach for a paper napkin from the store before bending down to wipe the cream carefully off of her shiny black shoe. The boys made even more noise when she did that and Bulla was shocked that when she got up, two or three of them were standing right behind her already, eyeing her like a pack of starving wolves.

"Pretty legs you've got there, baby," a boy with longish, messy hair drawled as he looked her up and down.

Bulla merely glared at him, flipped her hair back arrogantly and stalked away.

He called after her and even chased after her as he did so but just as his hand was about to tap on her shoulder, Bulla grabbed hold of it and with an expert twist of her wrist, she managed to twist his arm and have him screaming in pain, his whole body bent at an awkward angle.

"First of all, I am not your baby," Bulla hissed into his face, menacingly, "Secondly, do not ever touch a girl without her consent! We are not your playthings!"

Bulla abruptly let go of the boy's arm. The two boys, one who was still clutching his injured arm looked at her in horror. The other one glared at her and was about to come up to her and attack her when she smacked her palm up into his face, effectively crushing his nose in that one smooth motion. It was so fast and smooth that no one really could tell exactly what she did.

Bulla turned swiftly and ran the other way before any other boy could come and harass her.

That was the day that she noticed how differently boys or men treat her. She couldn't help but notice their lingering gazes, open compliments and even the frequent text messages or outright requests to date her. Always, her answer was a resounding 'no' and she would ignore those who persisted.

She didn't like their attention on her, these boys...To the pure hearted Bulla, if they were not the object of her affection then they did not deserve her attention. She only had eyes for Goku and the only one whom she would say yes to if he asked her out was him. He was the only male in the whole entire universe that mattered to her romantically and she didn't care even if this was just a mere fantasy and she might never actually get to be with him seeing as he was still married.

Despite her obvious disdain for the relentless attention she was given by these pathetic snot nosed boys, Bulla had to admit that their obvious attraction to her was somehow reassuring. She realised that she was indeed considered conventionally beautiful and the knowledge that she was physically attractive to many men made her incredibly pleased. Perhaps, if something like a divorce were to happen between Goku and his wife Chichi then she could fantasise about him being attracted to her. This was all hypothetical of course but the very notion of having Goku look at her with the same burning intensity of those other boys somehow thrilled her to the core.

With that fantasy in mind, Bulla drowned herself in making sure to take care of her beauty, going out on a shopping spree with her mother to buy all of the beauty and skin care products. From shampoos to hand creams and body butters and moisturiser to eyeshadow palettes and lipsticks, the girl was set to maintain her good looks. Bulma was never more happy than to really educate her daughter on such products.

"You're a beautiful girl, Bulla and you're right to want to take care of your loveliness," Bulma said, smiling and nodding in approval.

"Well, I got it from you, Mom!" Bulla replied, laughing softly. "I think Trunks is the one who takes after Dad's in the looks department...!"

To which Bulma laughed.

"Oh, you wouldn't believe how your dad complained about his hair not being dark in the first stages of our relationship. He was like 'Woman! Are you wven sure he's my son!? Look at him! His hair is purple! Purple!'"

Both mother and daughter tossed back their heads and laughed. They loved Vegeta for he was the patriarch of the family and truly he had changed to become the most wonderful family man there was but it was really always enjoyable poking fun at him once in a while.

Thus began Bulla's regime of taking care of her beauty. She would always clean her face carefully, going through many steps of first cleansing, moisturising and toning. She would even put on a facial mask every twice a week just to make sure that all that grime and dirt would come off.

When she stepped out of the sun, she never failed to use cruelty free makeup that also contained spf so that her skin wouldn't be damaged by the sun. Above all else, she was very particular about her skin and she tried her very best to keep it as smooth as porcelain and as dewy as possible.

Her hair was also a certain pride of hers that she took painstaking care of. She would brush it until it gleamed and shone in the light. Bulla would shampoo it, condition it, purchase expensive hair treatments and lather her scalp with them. She even tried horse shampoo once when she heard how great it worked for some models she was friends with.

Training with her father and brother kept her body toned and in shape so she never let that go. And of course, training also meant time spent with Goku. As the months passed by, Bulla could see and feel the changes in her body that took place. Her budding breasts grew bigger with each passing day and her hips fuller. She was transforming into a woman now and the thought half thrilled her and scared her. She was afraid of growing into adulthood and the complications it would come with but also exhilarated that she would finally turn into a woman and perhaps...maybe...some day...make Goku notice that she was indeed a woman worthy of him.

It seemed as though it was only a blink of an eye but suddenly she was already fifteen years old and Goku had come to visit Capsule Corp on again and off again during that year.

Always, Bulla was ready to greet him and always she was fired up to learn from him and spar with him and Goku never failed to return her enthusiasm.

One day when he arrived though, he told Bulla he wasn't there to train and spar with them, rather he was there to invite Bulla to go train with him on King Kai's planet.

"So, I was thinking it would be high time she trained with one of the deities...I think Lord Beerus and Whis are a bit too advanced for her but she's surely ready for King Kai. Whaddya say, Geets? It could be really good for her advancement," Goku spoke eagerly, beaming at Vegeta.

The prince merely fixed him with his stereotypical scowl and rolled his eyes.

"How long do you plan on having her up there, Kakarot?" he finally said.

"Oh, depends on how long she can be away from her studies. I heard she's on summer break now so that gives us about three months...Is three months okay?" Goku replied, hoping Vegeta would agree.

"Child! What say you to this?" Vegeta barked at Bulla.

She had been sitting there amongst them but she hadn't yet spoken for she wanted her father and Goku to discuss everything first then maybe later she could join in. Her father's questioning had startled her out of her previous state of mind but she quickly responded.

"I want to go with Goku," she stated simply, firmly.

"Great! It's settled then!" Goku cried out, smiling at the both of them widely.

"Hn, she may go...But only if Bulma agrees," Vegeta muttered, rolling his eyes.

Convincing Bulma also didn't serve much of problem since Bulla was already finished with all her schoolwork and she had been so advanced in her studies that she was already in her second semester at university. Bulma didn't see why Bulla couldn't go on her own adventures at her age given Bulma herself went on adventures like that at fifteen or sixteen years old. After all, she had Goku to look after her and there was probably no one stronger than him bar Vegeta.

"Okay, everything is settled then," Goku said, smiling down at her brightly. His dark onyx eyes sparkling at her in delight that things were going so well. "You go ahead and pack your stuff. I'll wait here for you and once you're done, we can teleport to King Kai's."

Bulla rushed off and threw whatever she felt was necessary into a small luggage bag. Never before had she packed for anything so quickly. She didn't bother with makeup and other additional beauty products then, only taking was of the most importance because this was just going to be a training session with King Kai.

Just as she was coming down the staircase, luggage in hand, Goku chuckled and scratched the back of his head at the sight of her.

"Ahahaha, guess what Bulla? I forgot my own knapsack at Mount Paozu's! Guess we'll have to teleport there first before we go to King Kai's...You don't mind do you?"

"Not at all."

"Great! Well, then, gimme your hand."

Bulla's whole body felt as though it had fallen off a cliff only to suddenly reappear again but this time they were in Goku's home, up on Mount Paozu.

She blinked as she took in the surroundings of his home. It was a simple house, not incredibly big but not tiny either. She wasn't used to such simple, outdated designs though but Bulla didn't think it was such a big deal. She was happy as long as Goku was there in her life.

"Stay here for a minute okay? I'm gonna go get my stuff..." Goku muttered, walking into a hallway and disappearing in a room.

Bulla sat on a sofa patiently for him and it was then when Chichi suddenly made an appearance. Her dark eyes fell on Bulla and her scowl immediately worsened. Stalking over to the teen like a starving bear ready for the kill, she marched up in front of the young heiress and crossed her arms over her chest haughtily.

Her hostile expression and aura was clearly making Bulla uncomfortable but she was determined not to be cowed by this older lady. She decided to sit up straighter and meet the woman's glare for glare.

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing!" Chichi said, sternly. "I see how you look at my man! I know what you want! You want to seduce my husband, don't you? You want to trick my poor husband into running off with you on some wild fantasy! Well, you won't steal him from me while I'm alive, you little hussy!"

"Excuse me! I don't want to simply seduce him! I want to marry him!" Bulla retorted. "You made him promise to marry you when you were little and he agreed and I have made that promise too! If ever he has the chance to marry me, he said he would! I won't steal him but if he is ever available he has to fulfil his promise to me as he did to you!"

Chichi was infuriated by her retort. She glared down at Bulla even more menacingly.

"You will not have him, you brazen little slut! You will not ever get him because he will always be married to me! He will never leave me for anyone!" Chichi snapped. "You think you're the first little whore to have lusted after my man? Ha! Goku is only about as sexual as a tub of cement and he has never strayed from me...He won't start with a stupid blue haired little girl and her stupid schoolgirl crush."

Bulla gritted her teeth, fighting desperately to control her urge to simply smack this woman across her face. Her heart was beating so fast from just her blood boiling and the only thing that held her tongue and hand in check was the fact that Chichi was a friend of her mother's and that she was older.

"Besides, Goku would only want a simple woman. One who can cook, clean and look after him...Not some spoiled princess from the city who grew up with a golden spoon in her obnoxious mouth!" Chichi added, smirking down at the teen.

"I know how to cook!" Bulla retorted, angrily, "I'm a certified chef if you must know!"

"Oh I know...But you're not a cook! You're not wife material...You don't know how to clean and look after a house. You have your robots do it for you..." Chichi elaborated. "You're fancy and expensive and spoiled and rotten...My Goku doesn't need such materialism in his life. Trust me, you are so out of your league, child."

Bulla fumed but she couldn't really argue with Chichi. It's true she wasn't very good at house work. She doesn't like it...She finds it boring...It is dull cleaning up after a house and so she holds her tongue but god, there was nothing more than she wanted to do right then but wipe that arrogant smirk right off of Chichi's face.

Then just as she was about to snap, Goku appeared and he was right by her side again, bright, wide smile on his handsome face. He grinned at Chichi and waved.

"See ya later, Chi!" he called after her as he placed a hand on Bulla's shoulder and two fingers to his forehead with the other hand.

They were instantly transported to another world and Bulla immediately felt the intense pull of gravity that existed on this planet. She sagged forward and fell on one knee.

Blue eyes took in the sight of plush green gras that spread everywhere across the land. There were several trees and a little rounded house. Bulla was surprised to take in the sights and conclude that King Kai's planet was a very tiny one indeed, no bigger than one of the houses they owned everywhere around the world.

"Whoa, careful there," Goku chuckled lightly, "King Kai's planet has a very strong force of gravity. You'll need to get used to it..."

Just as he spoke, the blue skinned deity appeared, frowning angrily at the Saiyan and the half Saiyan. He looked not at all pleased to see Goku and Bulla there and the princess immediately dreaded agreeing to this...Had Goku lied when he said King Kai agreed to training her? Surely he wouldn't...

"Hey, King Kai!" Goku smiled brightly, waving at the deity, "This is Bulla Briefs, Vegeta's daughter. She's a half Saiyan like my sons and she's really strong! She's the one I've been telling you about!"

"Oh, great! Another ridiculously strong Saiyan to train...Another mouth to feed...I told you not to bring her here, Goku! What were you thinking!?" King Kai started ranting, "You know my tiny planet can barely take all of your crazy power now, what makes you think it can take you and hers now that you've brought her here!? My poor tiny planet...It's gonna get wrecked!"

As she listened to the deity's words, Bulla felt a sudden determination once more. It was similar to that feeling she had when she was set on going to a culinary school or when she was set on one day becoming Goku's wife. It was as though again, a bright vermilion flame was lit in her breast and she was filled with an intense emotion of wanting to prove herself, to show King Kai her impressive strength, to prove to him, to them all that she was worthy.

Standing up on shaky legs, Bulla took a deep breath before she launched into her introduction.

"Greetings, King Kai! My name is Bulla, daughter Vegeta and Bulma. I apologise for coming here unannounced like this but I would highly appreciate it if you would accept me as a pupil and train me as you trained Goku," she bowed politely.

"Please," she begged as she still maintained her bow, "I would not be a burden to you. I am similar to my mother in that I'm very skilled at building and repairing items. I have brought with me capsules that can help repair whatever damage your home or your planet will have from us...I am also a skilled chef and can cook you all meals without any problems. The house chores and everything can also be my responsibility. I'll do it all, King Kai...I beg of you...Please train me."

King Kai blinked rapidly at the bowing girl, watching her carefully as he thought it over. Well, if she really was going to take over the chores and she really would cook for them all then that definitely would be a great help. If she was also speaking the truth about being able to repair damages made then he was quite willing to accept her.

"You're at least a polite one...Unlike that great big oaf over there," King Kai muttered as he nodded his head towards Goku. "Are you sure you'll be able to repair all the damages you two will be inflicting on this planet though?"

"Yes," Bulla answered with confidence.

"Sure you can cook all of us meals? Goku especially since this moron eats like a starving pig."

"Haha...," Goku chuckled lightly at the comment, his hand scratching the back of his head.

"Yes," again, Bulla answered.

"And the chores? You'll do it all?"

"Yes."

"Hmmm, alright then. You may stay..." King Kai agreed, sighing a little. "But don't think for one second I will not chase you off this planet if you don't deliver! And the training is going to be harsh okay!? No slacking at all! I'm gonna grill you into shape, missy!"

Bulla smiled and finally she lifted up her head, catching the blue deity's eyes.

"You won't regret it at all, King Kai," she grinned, glad to have been accepted.

The rest of the day went by with Bulla being introduced to Bubbles and Gregory. She immediately started her training that day by trying to catch Bubbles without ever turning Super. It proved difficult even for someone as strong as her but she managed to do it faster than Goku did when he first arrived to King Kai's. Of course that was a given considering how she was already able to turn Super at the mere age of 11.

She even trained with Gregory and chased after the little guy everywhere trying to bump his head with a mallet. Bulla managed it within a short amount of time as well, her body now completely adjusted to the pull of gravity of the planet.

When it came time for meals, Bulla rose to the occasion, cooking them all lavish, delicious home cooked dishes that were so tasty, it left King Kai, Gregory and Bubbles in tears. They were so grateful to her that they couldn't stop thanking the bluenette. Bulla blushed and simply accepted their kind words but she was glad that she was of service to them.

She also stuck to her word of doing the chores. All of their clothes were washed and dried by her and she was also quick to repair the massive damages that Goku would make on the tiny planet since his power was beyond mortal level.

He would create huge throughs in the ground, completely destroying the beautiful green grass that spread about all over the surface of the planet like a lovely lush green carpet.

"Goku! My god! You've done it again! You've ruined my poor little planet!" King Kai moaned in frustration. The poor deity was near tears but Bulla quickly put all of his worries to rest.

She immediately started to replant the soil with the fastest growing grass seeds she had brought with her in a capsule.

"See? The technology at Capsule Corp has advanced so much that we're even able to make something like trees or grass grow in a matter of minutes!" Bulla exclaimed, smiling at King Kai brightly.

"Oh, my dear, sweet child! Where would we ever be without you!? I can't bear the thought that you're leaving in another month or so!" King Kai sobbed.

Bulla merely patted his back comfortingly, smiling sweetly at the rotund Kai.

The day she completed her training soon arrived. King Kai and the others profusely thanked her again for all of her help and told her that she was welcome anytime to their planet. King Kai was in fact so upset at her departure, the blue skinned deity even cried.

"Pl-Please feel free to come again! A-any t-t-time! You're m-most welcome here, my girl!" he sobbed into his handkerchief.

Bulla patted his back affectionately, smiling gently at him then she turned to Gregory and Bubbles.

"Thank you all so much for the wonderful training...I learned a lot from you all. It's been a very enriching experience for me," she said, bowing politely.

Then Goku placed his hand on her shoulder and two fingers to his forehead and just like that they were no longer on King Kai's.

Bulla was back home at Capsule Corp, her mother squeaking at her sudden appearance but she was so delighted, she leaped out of her chair and ran to hug her daughter. Vegeta still sat at the dinner table, scowl in place but this time his aura seemed deadly and sinister, almost as though her appearance made him even more unhappy. Bulla brushed it aside, turning around to thank Goku instead. After saying their brief goodbyes, she watch Goku zip away back to his home.

It was in the wee hours of the night that a sudden spark of energy that woke her from her deep sleep and she was suddenly on edge, ears perking up, heart thumping so furiously within her chest cavity. The sweat started to gather in her palms and she was suddenly very anxious...Something wasn't right. Her heightened Saiyan senses could tell that the sudden spark in kis just now wasn't some random occurrence. It had been her father's ki and Goku's as well. She knew it was happening at Goku's house possibly since that was the direction she could sense it from.

Scrambling to her feet, Bulla quickly dressed, throwing on a pair of sweat pants and a sweater. She hastily tied her hair into a ponytail and ran out of her room, bumping into a warm solid wall of muscle.

"You sense it too?" Trunks asked, his eyes trained to the direction of where the sparking kis were coming from. His face showed his concern but he didn't look so out of his mind with worry.

"I'm going over! I knew Dad was pissed just now at the dinner table when I first got home but I didn't know he was this pissed!" Bulla said through gritted teeth.

She sidestepped her brother and rushed to the door.

"I don't think that's a good idea!" Trunks called out to her but he didn't stop her. He was too tired from work and if she was heading there to their father then he'd let the patriarchy of the house handle her.

Bulla was soaring through the sky at maximum speed, straight to Mount Paozu, adrenaline coursing through her veins. She was so nervous, something deep inside was telling her that she was connected to her father's rage. This was no mere sparring session. Her father was literally going at Goku in full force. Her gut feeling told her that it was most definitely something to dow with her, she just knew it!

The house, when she found it, still stood intact for the most part. Aside from the massive hole and rubble that stood in it, you could still see Goku's house. It wasn't completely destroyed yet.

Chichi stood outside her house, a hand clutched at her breast. She looked concerned and angry, glaring at Vegeta in hatred.

Vegeta was facing off against Goku, panting slightly, he was in his Super Saiyan form and Goku was as well. Both were panting slightly and glaring at each other but Vegeta looked like he wanted to tear Goku from limb to limb whereas Goku merely looked determined to stop Vegeta. There was no ill feelings on Goku's part despite the fact that he sported a busted lip that was bleeding, obviously Vegeta's doing. Both fighters ignored her presence, more fixated on the fight at hand.

"Vegeta...What's wrong?" Goku asked, his eyes glaring at the prince. "Why did you suddenly attack me in my sleep?"

"You...You lowly third class scum!" Vegeta barked, he leaped forward throwing a vicious punch straight at Goku's face. "You've seduced my daughter! You've polluted her mind with thoughts about you! I'll kill you for it!"

The prince of all Saiyans sprang forth, leaping at Goku in lightning fast speed. The two Saiyans smashed into the forest that surrounded Goku's home, Chichi screamed and Bulla did too but unlike Chichi, she ran into the forest after her father and Goku. Bulla was not concerned about getting caught up in that brawl since her strength as it was could handle their current level...

"Daddy! Goku! Stop!" Bulla cried out, as she chased after them.

Vegeta briught up a knee into Goku' gut, winding him momentarily and then he swiftly slammed his fist into the back of Goku's head. Goku fell down into the ground and tried to get up but Vegeta didn't wait. The older Saiyan flew straight at Goku and kicked him in the gut so harshly the man flew back yards away, landing deeper into the forest.

Goku gasped and he could feel the sharp pain in his ribs then. Great, a couple of crack or broken ribs...He winced but got up anyway and launched his own attacks against Vegeta but the prince, who was suddenly so fuelled with a deep hatred against Goku could somehow fight better because of it. He dodged all of Goku's attacks and blocked those he couldn't and when he saw and opening he swung a right hook straight into Goku's ribs, causing further damage.

Goku coughed and blood spattered out of his mouth and that was when Bulla's heart couldn't take it anymore.

"STOOOOOPP!" Bulla screamed suddenly, her voice so loud that it echoed in the trees that engulfed them.

She ran into their battlefield, going straight up in front of the love of her life and brought out her arms as a barrier against her own father. Her cornflower blue eyes glared at her father yet he could tell her eyes were glistening with unshed tears.

"Step away from him, brat!" Vegeta snarled, meeting her glare with his.

"No!" Bulla stated, stubbornly.

"I will not repeat myself again, brat!"

"No! You stop this nonsense, Daddy!" Bulla exclaimed, anger lacing her tone. "I won't have you hurt him anymore! Daddy, I love him!"

Vegeta's face turned flaming red from fury. He had never been so incredibly, frighteningly furious before. This was his daughter...His precious little girl, whom he had looked after and loved and cared for for so long and she was infatuated with his rival? The ultimate bane of his existence! The most idiotic, ridiculous, silly caricature of a Saiyan there ever was. He may have been the strongest and under different circumstances Vegeta would have liked that best in a future son in law but not this! Not this foolish, power hungry, selfish baffoon!

"Bulla! You can't love him! He's decades older than you! The man is in his late fifties already!" Vegeta barked at her. "You don't know what love is even! You're just a child!"

"I'm not a child!" Bulla protested, the tears slipping onto her cheeks but she never lost that fire that burned in her eyes. "I'm already fifteen and I've loved him since I was five! Daddy, I love him...! All these years I've loved him and I've never stopped loving him! I never stopped loving him! If you hurt him...I will never forgive you!"

That last sentence...As soon as the words left her mouth, Vegeta's gaze turned sad for a brief moment. It was so short of a time that it happened within a second but Bulla knew her father best and she knew her words had an impact on him. He scowled even further. If looks could kill, she and Goku would be melted down already.

"Brat...He is a married man! He is still married to the harpy and while he's still married there isn't anything you can do about it!" Vegeta growled.

"I know..." Bulla said softly, her eyes downcast, sadness filling them for one brief moment. "But I don't care...I can't help my feelings..."

The princess lifts her head up then and continues to glare down her own father.

Vegeta watches her for a moment before finally turning away, scowling still. The prince of all Saiyans clicks his tongue, displaying his irritation at the whole scenario and then just like that he zooms off into the starry night sky.

Bulla and Goku watch him leave in silence, neither of them saying a word.

Goku who had heard everything remained quiet throughout the whole discussion between father and daughter. He certainly couldn't fully wrap his head around the idea that Bulla actually 'loved' him...But...somehow the knowledge that she did did not scare him or make him feel uncomfortable. Goku wasn't exactly a romantic and he had almost no clue when it came to women and their feelings. He knew Chichi loved him sure, but that was because she had told him multiple times once they married, had explicitly said it to him face to face and had left no room for him to doubt her feelings for him. But knowing someone loved you wasn't the same as understanding it and returning that love. It took Goku years to learn to love Chichi back but he understood vaguely that his love was different from other couples.

How devoted Vegeta was to Bulma...How his son Gohan would happily give up training or fighting just to stay at home and be with Videl and Pan...He saw all this and knew that his love for Chichi isn't the same.

The young half breed Saiyan turn to face him, blue hair swaying gently in the breeze of the night air. She looked so beautiful in the darkness, under a starlit sky, her cornflower blue eyes gazing at his own onyx ones intensely.

After a moment, she held out a dainty hand.

"Come," she said, simply, "Let's get you fixed up..."

The older Saiyan accepted her hand without protest, getting to his knees and standing up. He groaned a bit at the pain in his ribs and sank back down to one knee but Bulla held him firmly and helped him up once again. She then wrapped one arm about her shoulder and helped him fly back to his house, away from the destruction of the forest that was made from Vegeta's attacks.

When they landed on the ground, Bulla quickly helped Goku to sit down at one of the benches they had outside their house. Chichi was there by the door, watching them intently. The young bluenette stayed silent and didn't even turn to face the older woman.

The blue haired girl took out a capsule and threw it on the ground once she pressed the button. A first aid kit appeared and Bulla quickly rummaged through it for all the items she needed to tend to Goku.

Both Saiyans didn't exchange words at all. Goku didn't speak and merely allowed Bulla to clean his wounds up carefully, bandage him, wipe his blood. When her small, little fingers reached his ribs and he hissed, she stepped away and finally spoke.

"I think they're cracked...You probably need to go to the hospital for that one..." she said, watching him critically.

"Yeah," he said under his breath.

Goku thanked her, she nodded in answer and then he walked to his house.

Chichi who was standing right in front of the door stepped aside wordlessly to make way for him to walk inside. Husband and wife did not say anything to one another but Bulla somehow could tell...Could feel that they had exchanged a look that spoke more than words could say. Chichi did not follow him inside though but stood and watched the blunette.

Bulla tossed her hair over her shoulder as she collected the first aid kit and transformed it into a capsule again. She was not going to stay for yet another of Chichi's horrid criticisms of her person.

"You're never going to give up on him now are you?" the older woman's voice suddenly sliced through the tension filled air.

Bulla turned, slightly surprised that she chose to speak anyway.

"No," she replied without hesitation. "I'll never give up."

Chichi flashes her a sad, bitter smile at her answer.

"Good."

And that was all she said before she turned swiftly and slammed the door shut.

Bulla blinked at the door and wondered if what Chichi said to her was real. Nevertheless, none of them who was aware of what had happened that night had all chosen to avoid the topic all together. Everyone pretended like nothing had happened but each knew...Knew that it was all caused because a young girl had deep feelings for a much older married man.

A couple of years pass by and Bulla is now eighteen years old. She's a very young adult and she has grown spectacularly. Beauty, brains, strength, she had it all.

Goku still visited Capsule Corp occasionally but he mostly trained or sparred with her father and that was only during the years she was sixteen and seventeen. She didn't really see much of him when she turned eighteen and she only learned the reason if his scarcity at visiting them was because Chichi was sick.

She'd had cancer and even though she had never told anyone she had it for a long time after she found out, eventually, she had to be open about it with her family and close friends. Her sons were devastated, heartbroken that their mother was dying of natural causes. Her husband looked stricken at first then sorrowful afterwards but he did not cry. He stopped his training and he stopped visiting the gods. He stayed at home and took care of his wife. His sons and him took turns cleaning the house, cooking, and looking after Chichi.

Bulla didn't know what to feel about Chichi's imminent death but the word "Good" that had spilled out of Chichi's mouth that night her father attacked Goku came back to haunt her and she wondered if that was Chichi's way of telling her something. Bulla did the calculations and from what Chichi had told her mother, she was diagnosed about three years ago...It would make sense that she had already known of her disease when she asked her about giving up on Goku that fateful night...

* * *

"Come on, Bulla," Bulma called. "Or we'll be late for the funeral!"

The blue haired girl is sad but it wasn't for the deceased. She never liked the woman after all but she was saddened when she saw Goku's face. He had such sorrow in them despite how he still tried to look cheerful.

She rushes down the staircase in her black dress, the black netted hat covered half of her face. She's rushing to see a man who will watch a casket get lowered into the ground...She doesn't know who is sadder...Her or him because she thinks she looks pretty pathetic pining after a man who's mourning his dead wife.

* * *

Bulla always visited Goku after that. She would bring him food, help him clean the house, try to motivate him to train or exercise. Goku wasn't exactly a completely depressed figure but you could see that he wasn't truly himself. His voice didn't hold that same bright excitement he usually did and his eyes looked a little sad and tired. He still ate and he ate heartily but it wasn't his usual amount and he still trained but it wasn't as rigorous and he didn't look as into it as he used to be.

"Come on, old man! Time to get some exercise in those old bones of yours!" Bulla would say, tapping Goku on the shoulder while he lay spread out on the couch.

"Wow...You don't give up do you?" Goku chuckled lightly.

"Nope."

"Okay, okay...I'm getting up now..." Goku laughed even louder then.

This went on for about six months or so.

Anyone who gazed upon Bulla would know that she was indeed a most stunning beauty. She had grown up to be a most gorgeous girl, a near identical copy of her mother when she was that age. Her skin glistened like porcelain; creamy and fair and at times rosy. Her hair was this lovely teal colour and it was long and lustrous, one of her very best features. Her figure had developed into a lovely hourglass shape with a large bust and slender legs and arms. She was graceful and almost catlike in her movements but what was most arresting about her were her eyes. They were a stunning, sparkling cornflower blue and they had the ability to pierce through anyone if they so chose to look at a person.

Bulla, however, wasn't concerned about what other people thought of her...The only one who really mattered to her was Goku and what he thought. Goku had never paid her any kind of special attention before until...very recently...She couldn't really believe herself when she first noticed that he had been staring at her! When she saw it and how he quickly looked away, she blushed and pondered for days afterwards, wondering to herself if it was all a dream? Was it?

But then it happened again. And again...Subtle glances. Then lingering, innocent touches. A brush of his fingers, a sudden graze, elbows bumping, knees as well...It couldn't all be in her head.

One day, she makes him a meal she's been trying to perfect for years especially for him - the roasted wild boar with stuffing served with Chinese fried rice.

They sat down and ate their meal, sitting on opposite sides.

This is a dish she keeps making over the years he's been visiting...Over and over again, she will make for him his favourite dish...And always he would give the exact same response; "It's still not the best I've ever had."

Goku finished eating after about ten helpings and he sat back and groaned in contentment, rubbing his belly gently, a small, blissful smile on his face.

"That was the best roast wild boar and Chinese fried rice I've ever had...," he muttered, his tone soft and rich as though he was indeed incredibly satisfied.

It took Bulla a moment to react to his words. She sat there opposite him and blinked mutely for a few minutes.

"R-Really!?" she gasped.

"Yeah!"

"You mean it?"

"You betcha!"

Bulla beamed at him, her heart soaring to the heavens. Finally! Something she'd always had on her to-do list that she had never succeeded at ticking off; getting him to like her rendition of his favourite meal better than any other person's cooking. The sweet taste of success seemed to be truly paying off...Goku has noticed her looks and admitted her cooking was the best he had ever had; it seemed as though her good luck was piling on top of one another.

The next day she visits, Goku wasn't there at home. She searched for him but there was no reply and she even searched for his ki but he'd cloaked himself. Puzzled, she walks in anyway since Goku trusts her enough to even give her his spare key.

Her blue orbs fell on the gorgeous display of white and lilac roses that was in a vase and placed on the dinner table. She blinked, her mind racing at the prospects. Could he have done it himself? Decorated the dining table like that? Highly unlikely...Goku didn't ever do anything remotely similar to that before in all of the years she'd known him...

Then the door opens and Bulla turns around only to see Goku standing in the doorway.

Upon seeing her, he flashed a big grin, his onyx eyes twinkling in delight.

"You like them?" he asked, eyes sparkling at her. "I picked them up myself...I wasn't sure exactly how to do this since the first time didn't really go this way...So I had to ask Bulma and Krillin a lot for help..."

Bulla's eyes widened to saucer-like sizes.

"How to do what exactly?" she asked, heart beating furiously.

"Uhhh, this?" Goku said as he got down on one knee. The Saiyan pulls out a small black velvet box from his pocket and presented it to her. Bulla was already shaking like a leaf when her eyes watched him knelt down before her and now this black velvet box! Her heart was racing like a wild jack rabbit running for its life.

"Bulla Briefs, over the years you have been my friend...My very best friend...You have never given up on me and have strived to improve yourself in every way you can just so you could win my love...Even though you knew that I would never be yours, you still persevered. I watched you over and over again try your hardest to achieve your goals and that kind of strength is so incredible..." Goku said, smiling at her gently and with so much affection. "You yearned for me, believing that I'd never want you back...But here I am, princess. I love you...so much that I love you even more than training, believe it or not."

Bulla stared at him, agape, tears stinging her eyes.

"All these years, you've worked so hard to win my approval...Now it's my turn to win yours. That's why I did all this...I even got your favourite flowers, your mom told me what they were. She said you liked it best because of the meaning behind them...Oh dammit, I can't even remember what they meant...White roses were...Ugh...And the lilac ones...Dammit! What were the meanings?"

"I am worthy of you and enchantment..." Bulla whispered in a shaky voice.

"Huh?" puzzled, Goku.

"That's what they mean...White roses and lilac ones...They mean I am worthy of you and enchantment..." she answered, voice still a breathy whisper.

"Oh, right! That's what they meant! I am worthy of you and enchantment...So, uhhh, will you marry me, Bulla?" Goku asked, his face lighting up like the brightest of the stars. "I promise I'll work hard to remember the meaning of flowers and such...And to be more romantic in the future so I will really be worthy of you since you have enchanted me and I wi-"

A slender, delicately shaped finger pressed against his full mouth, silencing him.

"You idiot!" Bulla said, tears falling down in pearly droplets across her cheeks, "I'm the one who should be saying these words to you. I'm the one who should be saying that I'm worthy of you and that you have enchanted me!"

Her words were spoken with tears but she was also laughing. Her laughter rang through his house like melodious song. He thought he never ever wanted it to end.

"So...That means you agree?" Goku smiled back at her. "You'll marry me!?"

"Yes!" Bulla screamed, leaping into his arms joyfully, "Yes, yes, yes, a thousand times yes!"

Goku laughed when he caught her in his arms. He lifted her up and twirled her around a bit before he finally set her down to her feet gently, their eyes never leaving each other's.

It was such a beautiful, happy moment...

The older Saiyan's onyx gaze suddenly fell upon her mouth and he suddenly wanted so desperately to taste them. It was such a strange thought because Goku had never before kissed his wife but there he was, wanting desperately to kiss his fiancé. She was so exquisitely beautiful...So lovely and her full, pouty pink lips looked so inviting. Goku had just slowly begin to realise that Bulla was making him do things and feel things that he had never done or felt before.

Bulla caught him staring and she blushed but she was beyond excited! He was staring at her lips like he wanted to devour them and he'd already proposed to her so she knew he loved her. Taking the initiative, Bulla tilted her head up and pouted her full lips.

The older Saiyan wondered about what should be his next move but he simply thought that he'd rely on instincts and go for the kill. She'd already agreed to being his wife so he had nothing to lose. The older male leaned down, and slowly, ever so slowly and gently brushed his lips against hers.

It was their first kiss ever and a first kiss for the both of them. Goku who had been married before had never experienced such a gesture and Bulla who had been single all her life also had never experienced it either.

When they finally parted, the two of them still had their eyes closed and they both sighed blissfully.

"So that's what fourteen years of persistence tastes like..." Goku mumbled, dreamily, smiling gently.

"I was very persistent, wasn't I?" Bulla giggled as she threw her arms about his massive shoulders and leaned up to him, nuzzling the tip of her nose to his.

Goku nodded, laughing.

"Oh, the persistence of you!" he said, impersonating Peter Pan.

"Oh, the persistence of me!" Bulla laughed as well.

The end.

* * *

 **Author's Note: This story is dedicated to my lovely friend and fellow GokuBulla shipper AnnaBlackAndrackBradbury. Thank you so much for being my dear sweet friend and listening to all my crazy GokuBulla ideas! Ahahaha! I love you so much, my dear sweet friend. I hope I did justice to this pairing that we both love so much.**


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